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Massachusetts Governor Helps Rescue Boaters

Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and two of his sons helped rescue a New Jersey family from a sinking boat over the weekend, a New Hampshire official said today.

The 19-foot vintage wooden boat with six people and a dog on board started taking on water Saturday evening about 300 yards from the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, in central New Hampshire, Sgt. Eric Robertson of the New Hampshire State Marine Patrol said.

''It took on water very quickly and they donned their life vests and jumped out,'' Sergeant Robertson said. One passenger tried to dial 911, but water soaked the cellphone, he said.

The Romneys, who were at their lakeside summer home in Wolfeboro, and other people in the area quickly came to the rescue.

''The Romneys took two of the passengers and brought them back to shore,'' Sergeant Robertson said. ''There were other people, Good Samaritans, out there, about three vessels including the Romneys', helping out.''

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Mr. Fehrnstrom, who spoke to Governor Romney on Sunday about the incident, said the governor's two sons hopped on a motorized water scooter, while the governor got on another. They went to the sinking boat, and Governor Romney brought people to shore while his sons stood by at the scene. The Romneys also saved the family's dog, he said.

The boat was operated by Robert Morrissey, 57, of Tewksbury Township, N.J. Melinda Morrissey, 56, Mr. Morrissey's wife, was also rescued, as were Ross, 29, and Rebecca, 25, their children, and two of their friends, along with McKenzie, a Scotty, the family dog.

''This happened really, really fast,'' Mr. Morrissey said today in a telephone interview from New Hampshire. He said that when the boat began to sink, he dialed 911 on his cellphone. ''As I'm making the call, the boat is going down under my feet.''

He said the family was in the water for about a half-hour.

Mr. Fehrnstrom said the passengers were wearing life vests but added that ''I think the larger danger would have been from other boats going by.''

A boat motoring by as the survivors paddled in the water in the dark had come ''close enough to cause some concern,'' he said.

Mr. Robertson said the passengers were uninjured and were fine after the rescue, because of the ''good response of the people nearby.''